Situated in a quiet residential area in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo prefecture, a supreme natural setting that is proudly counted among Japan’s top one hundred sites for viewing cherry blossoms, F Residence is the work of local practice Gosize. This project in fact, bears a special significance to the firm, being the home and office of the studio's owner Go Fujita, who founded Gosize in 1999.
A complex brief that combines live and work areas did not deter Fujita from employing his signature approach to architecture; the studio excels in creating contemporary interiors that draw on the country's traditions. ‘Seeking to reflect a distinctive Japanese aesthetic that favours natural materials and finds beauty in simplicity, the design emphasizes plainness and blank spaces in the interior,’ explain the architects.
The largely concrete structure has a neat orthogonal footprint that stretches out to a slightly more jagged shape towards the back. Inside, three levels separate the work and living functions, assigning the ground floor to the former, while the second and third floor are kept more private, accessed through a sepatate, internal door.
A pleasing variation of materials add character to the composition. Fujita’s palette includes a tiled courtyard upon entrance, a calming water feature, and a natural stone wall base connecting the whole to its wider environment. Large openings upstairs and double height ceilings and skylights help bring the sunlight in, creating an open and generous interior.
‘It is my hope that this residence and office will serve as a place to reconnect with the nature-based wisdom and spiritual culture our ancestors have passed down to us, as well as to quietly reexamine my own life,’ says Fujita.
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